Part Three
~~~~~
A hand squeezed his shoulder gently.
With a groan, Perfect Tommy came about. "What?" he complained. But he stopped cold when he saw Rawhide standing over him.
"Come on, kid." Rawhide grabbed his arm and started to pull him off the bed.
But Perfect Tommy was yanked back down.
Frowning, Tommy turned to Knuckles.
The girl had thrown off her covers and was curled up in a tight ball. It was unclear if she was conscious or unconscious as she rocked, mumbling, her eyes squeezed shut. She was both sweating and shivering. And she was holding on with all her might, which, surprising enough, wasn't that much at the moment, to Perfect Tommy's hand.
Alarmed Tommy turned about, kneeling beside her on the bed. "What happened?" he demanded. "She wasn't this bad. I gave her the aspirin!" He looked up at Banzai who was sitting on the other side of the bed, trying to coax her into releasing his Cavalier. "You said the aspirin would help!"
"With fever, yes." Peggy quickly answered. "Not with an appendicitis." She looked at her husband, noting his failure with the girl. "Buckaroo, let Perfect Tommy carry her. She can keep a hold of him then."
"Carry her where?" Tommy wanted to know.
Oddity added his concerned wine from the foot of the bed.
"Downstairs. We're taking her to the hospital." Banzai answered. "Rawhide, help him. I'll get the doors."
"Oddity, come with me, puppy." Peggy ordered. "Let's go for a ride." She hurriedly lead the dog out of the room.
Knuckles cried out softly as Rawhide helped roll her into Tommy's arms.
Perfect Tommy dropped his head down to hers. "Shhh, be still." he whispered encouragement. "You'll be jus' fine, darlin'." He glanced up at Rawhide for confirmation.
The big man smiled slightly and wrapped a blanket around the girl.
"Tom..." Knuckles whimpered. She released his hand so as to take a tighter grip on his shirt front and turned into his chest. "Tom..." she gasped, "you ever call me darlin' again..."
Rawhide chuckled. Grabbing Perfect Tommy's shoulders and steadying him as he lifted the girl. "Well, there's a good sign, boy. As long as she's breathing, she's fighting. As long as she's fighting, no pain nor anguish nor death as a snow balls chance in hell."
"Damn." Knuckles groaned, burring her face into Tommy's chest. "I hate that cowboy."
"Yea, well, keep on fighting an' you can tell him all about it later." Rawhide answered. "Come on, Perfect Tommy. Lets get..."
"Don't!" Knuckles hissed, both hands snatching at PT's shirt. "Don't go. Don't leave, Tom..." She yanked him down, close to her again. "Please..."
His face close to hers, Tommy was surprised to see tears rolling down her cheeks. His breath quicken. "I ain't leavin' you, Jessica. You're comin' with me. Okay? I'm gonna take care of you, make sure you come out of this just fine."
Even before his last words could reach her, she had passed out. But, even in her restless sleep, she desperately clutched him.
"Lets get going, guys!" Buckaroo called from the outer room. "Time is of the essence."
Rawhide again grabbed Perfect Tommy to add his support. "Let's get your little girl to the hospital."
~~~~~
Tommy Boy paced back and forth, glaring at the truck. After a long, silent time, she stopped. Drawing a pistol from the back of her belt, she took aim, and fired.
The rest of the garage crew jumped, startled by the shot. Some reached for their own weapons or varies tools that could be used as weapons. but when they saw who the shooter was... and the victim... there was a collective groan, and they returned to their work.
Chuckling, Hotrod strolled up beside the girl. "I thought you said you weren't gonna shoot it!?"
Tommy Boy turned to face the man. "I teased her about the tires. I asked her if she was sure she had four tires."
"Yea?" Hotrod wondered just where she was going with this.
Waving the gun at the dead vehicle, she cried "The damn tires were the only thing salvageable off the whole damn thing!" She began to pace again, every once in a while taking a kick at the hated truck. "We'd have better luck with a go-cart ran by a pair of hamsters on a square wheel!" She shrugged. "Sure, I could of popped a new engine in that thing... but there wasn't enough solid steel to the body to hold the horn, much less a whole engine! Hell, there isn't enough good tin to recycle for a soda can." Again, she spun about to face him. "The only merciful thing to do was to shoot it and put it out of it's misery... out of MY misery!"
"O-kay." Hotrod scratched his chin. "I'll go with you on that. But what are you gonna do when Knuckles asks about her truck?"
Tommy Boy glared at him long and hard, going through a few different scenarios on how to punish him for bringing up that little detail. But, she had to admit, he had a point.
Putting her hands on her hips, she scanned the garage. "She's gonna be out of commission for a couple of weeks."
"That's what's been told."
Grinning, Tommy Boy turned back to him. "Let's get creative." She frowned. "And hope her recovery time takes a couple extra days."
~~~~~
3 days later....
Knuckles stirred, twisting in the uncomfortably unfamiliar bed. There was a restraining tug at her arm.
Disoriented and only half awake, she reacted instinctively. her free hand came up in a fist as she jerked away from the tug, twisting about and, even if she wasn't completely aware, ready to fight.
"Woe. Woe! Stand down!" Rawhide quickly backed away from the bed, holding his hands up showing he wasn't a threat. He wanted to pounce on her and hold her still before she damaged her stitches, but resisted. He knew she would only redouble his fight. Knuckles didn't take well to be restrained. "Take it easy, girl. It's just an I.V." he assured, hoping she would listen before giving him no choice.
Even if his figure was bleary in her sleep weighted eyes, his voice rang out, clear and commanding. And Knuckles had yet to disobey him, the only person she had ever considered a supior officer since her father's death.
This being so, Knuckles froze in place. breathing hard, she blinked away sleep until she could focus on the man.
Cautiously, Rawhide returned to the bedside. "Welcome back, Knuckles." Though his voice was soft, there was still a note of command to it. He wanted to remain in control of the room.
Still dazed, but quickly recovering, Knuckles answered with a simple "Cowboy." Though steady, her voice was soft, weak.
Rawhide nodded once, before asking "Do you know where you are?"
Her eyes darted about, then snapped back to him. "Infirmary?" referring to the Banzai Institute's medical facility.
"Saint Mary's Hospital." Rawhide corrected.
Knuckles frowned. "Why?"
"We brought you in three nights ago. Your appendix ruptured. They had to operate." he explained.
"They?"
Rawhide nodded. "Buckaroo, and, later, New Jersey joined him. They said everything went well. Take it easy for a couple of weeks and you'll be good as new."
Slowly she nodded, visibly relaxing. "That's why I was sick?" she wondered.
Rawhide sighed, also relaxing. Smiling slightly, he answered "That would be a safe bet."
"They take it out?"
"That's my understandin' of what's done in these cases." he shrugged. "Would you like me to get one of the docs?"
Knuckles paused, then shook her head. But then she frowned. "Guess Tom took off as soon as he could!?" She growled the words out, but couldn't completely hide the disappointment.
"You'd guess wrong." Rawhide nodded pass her.
Gingerly (now alert, she was aware of the nagging ache where she assumed the surgery had taken place), she rolled over.
Perfect Tommy was curled up, sound asleep on top of the bed beside her own. He was barefoot. His hair was messed. His hands, laid palms up on the bed, twitched, his fingers wiggling.
Knuckles couldn't help but smile. "Sleeps all twitchy like Oddity." she observed.
Rawhide chuckled. "Yea, but Oddity dreams of chasing tennis balls. Perfect Tommy dreams of chasing women."
Knuckles' smile vanished.
A loud smack as her small fist slammed into Rawhide's thick shoulder announced that Peggy Banzai was also in the room. Stepping around the big man, she glared at him. "Rawhide was just leaving to go do something... rawhide-ish."
Rawhide frowned, rubbing his shoulder. Not that the blow actually hurt, but he was a little confused about the reasoning behind the attack. But Peggy's glare told him all he needed to know: safety would only be found elsewhere. "Rawhide-ish... yes, very busy being Rawhide-ish." he patted Knuckles' leg. "Take it easy, girl. I'll see you later."
Knuckles nodded slightly, but didn't look at him.
Sighing, Rawhide turned and left, still unsure what he had done.
Peggy sat on the side of the bed and begun to straighten the blankets. "How you feeling, sweety?"
Knuckles shrugged. "Haven't quite made up my mind yet." she mumbled, still watching Perfect Tommy sleep.
Peggy looked over at her sleeping friend and smiled. "He wouldn't leave. Said he promised not to leave you. Stood right outside of the operating room, sat beside you in recovery..." She shook her head. "Sid came in a couple of hours ago and gave him a soda loaded with something that knocked him out. He's been sleeping ever since."
Knuckles glanced at her sharply. "He never left? He stayed? With me?" She couldn't comprehend what she was hearing. Tom didn't take off? He willingly stayed with her the whole time?
"He never left." Peggy answered as she used her fingers to brush Knuckles hair away from her face. "Tell me something, Jessica?"
Knuckles blinked. After a moment, she shrugged.
Peggy smiled. "What proof are you looking for?"
The girl's eyes narrowed.
Seeing she wasn't understanding, Peggy leaned back. "Romance is just a show, and any man can put on a show. Any man can pick out a pretty flower, or light a few candles. Coming to the rescue of a damsel in distress?" She shrugged. "Boys dive into a battle for the action and excitement, and then ask..." her voice deepened as she mimicked a manly man "`damsel? what damsel?'"
Knuckles smiled slightly.
Peggy went on, shaking her head. "Proof isn't in romance, or bravery, or his eyes, or his kiss, or anything else that sticks out in a girl's memories. It isn't breakfast in bed, nor a night out on the town." She smiled. "It's in the ordinary, everyday little things. Refilling your cup of coffee. Remembering you like bananas over apples. Knowing when you're ignoring a headache or when you need an intervention so you can control your temper. Making sure you get a few minutes extra sleep when you've had a bad night. Paying enough attention to argue with you over the details."
Knuckles chuckled at that last sentence. "Gee, not like that happens a lot with Tom." she mumbled, turning her head to watch the sleeping man. After a moment she asked "What was your proof? What proved to you that Buckaroo loved you?"
Peggy blushed. "Oh, that is an embarrassing story." she laughed softly.
Knuckles glanced up at her again.
Sighing, Peggy started "The short version, without all the horrible details: I got completely plastered at a college party. Buckaroo took me home, held my hair back as I spent half the night with my head in the toilet, and then put me to bed. and spent the next several years teasing me about it." She shrugged. "The true proof that you've got a man on the hook: he holds back your hair while your busy being sick."
Knuckles stared at her.
Peggy smiled. "Go back to sleep, sweety. You need your rest." She rose from the bed and moved around to pull a blanket over Perfect Tommy. She laid a gentle kiss on the sleeping Cavalier's brow, then left the room.
Knuckles watched her leave, then looked up at the ceiling. She wondered what Tom had told the woman about the night in her apartment. Wondered, if he hadn't told her, did she figure out for herself? Was she really that insightful? Was Peggy Banzai telling the truth? And if so, what did it say about Tom and herself?
With a tired sigh, Knuckles turned one more time to watch the man.
His fingers still twitched.
Smiling, she closed her eyes and was soon asleep.
~~~~~
The next time she woke, Knuckles was still facing her neighbor's bed.
Perfect Tommy was sitting cross legged on top of the bed, his sharp blue eyes watching her with an intensity that she could feel long before she had even opened her eyes. His hair was damp as if he had recently taken a shower. He was wearing a clean BB t-shirt and sharp black jeans, and was still barefoot.
Knuckles smiled slightly upon seeing him. Closing her eyes again, she breathed in deeply, then out again. "What day is it?" she wondered.
"Wednesday." Perfect Tommy answered, his voice strangely monotoned. "Day four of hospital life."
"Four days?" She shook her head. "Damn. A lot of wasted time."
She had just barely spoken the last word when Perfect Tommy growled "Do not ever do that again!"
Knuckles eyes opened again. Frowning, she wondered if he had been talking to her. But his unwavering stare gave her the answer.
As far as he was concerned, she was the only other person in existence at that very moment.
Confused, she asked "What? Swear?"
"No!" he snapped. He waved an impatient hand at her side. "Do not do THAT again!" he repeated, louder, madder.
Knuckles hand moved to her side, still not understanding, until she moved just enough to feel the bandage pull. "Get sick?" Knuckles huffed, shaking her head slightly. "It was my appendix. I only had one and the docs took it. So, I don't think you'll have to be worrying about..."
Perfect Tommy jumped off his bed so fast that Knuckles stiffened, instinctively feeling defensive. "You're not getting it!" he accused angrily.
Feeling her own temper rising, the girl grabbed the bed control and pushed the appropriate buttons to get her slanted up. "No, I am not `getting it.' So, why don't you just explain it to me, my! so! wise! sir!"
Perfect Tommy glared at her. "You could of died, damn it!" His eyes dropped as she shook his head. "Buck said you would of been hurting for a few days." His eyes snapped up to glare again. "You should of told me! Should of told Gage.. or Jersey, or Buckaroo, or Rawhide... Peggy or any of the girls... Anyone! Hell, Oddity would of ran to get help if only you told..." Running out of breath, he dropped back on his bed, shaking his head.
Knuckles stared at him, suddenly coming to a conclusion. "You were worried about me."
Perfect Tommy looked at her, his head tilted slightly. His anger was gone and he just, simply looked tired. "I... " He sighed heavily, dropping his chin to his chest. "I don't do death well. I don't do death well at all." he finally admitted in a whisper. "Especially when it come to those I care about.... when it comes to you." His eye lifted just enough to so that he could see her, looking for her reaction.
Knuckles continued to stare at him, showing nothing of what was going on in her head.
After a very long time, Tommy sighed again. "So... don't do it again... okay?!" He stood and started passed her for the door.
But he was stopped when her hand grabbed his wrist. Not daring to look... after all, it had taken all the courage he had had to say as much as he already had... he simply stood there, still and quiet, waiting.
"What proof are you looking for?" Knuckles asked softly.
Perfect Tommy glanced down at her, then, frowning.
Knuckles smiled. "You know the true proof that you've got a girl on the hook?" she asked, pulling him down until he was sitting beside her on her bed.
This time Perfect Tommy stared. "No." he admitted softly.
She grabbed his shirt front and pulled him even closer. "Neither do I. So, I thought I'd just show you." And she dragged him even closer until her lips found his in a kiss.
It wasn't a deep kiss in the physical sense, but it reached down deep within both of them, drawing out feelings that they had tried hard to ignore or snuff off as a flight of fancy.
Knuckles' fingers flexed out over his chest, her eyes closing, surrendering to the sudden rush of emotion that seemed to fill her chest to an almost painful pressure.
Tommy's hand came up to cup the side of her head as his other rested on her side. His heart seemed to have stopped, though he wasn't sure if it was just his heart or all time had simply ceased to make room for the eternity that was one sweet little kiss.
Knuckles suddenly jerked. "Ouch." she hissed.
Perfect Tommy glanced down, quickly pulling his hand from her side, realizing that he had pressed on her incision. "Sorry." he gasped. "Sorry, sorry, sorry..."
She silence him with a quick, light kiss. When his eyes had returned to hers, she smiled, reaching up to stroke his cheek. "I'm alright, Tom." she assured. "Fact be, I don't remember ever being much better."
Tommy returned her smile. "Damn." he teased. "That doesn't say a hell of a lot 'bout your life."
Knuckles' eyes flashed and she slugged him in the shoulder.
~~~~~
Eight days later...
Tommy Boy paced back and forth in front of the hospital. "Not that I'm afraid of her or anything." she was saying. "But she did have some unnatural attachment to that rusty dumpster." She paused to look at Rawhide who leaned against the wall, hands deep in his pockets, trying not to get into ANOTHER conversation about that damn truck. "You know," Tommy Boy continued, "I bet we can blame New York's smog problem on that one truck."
Exaggerating a sigh, Rawhide pulled his stetson down over his eyes.
Tommy Boy glared. But was too distracted to waste time being mad at him. And she began pacing again. "Hell, if she doesn't like it, I'll keep it!" she declared. "It's a good... no, it's the best vehicle on four wheels after the Beast. And she sure as hell not going to get the..."
"Hey. Where's my truck?" Knuckles called from her wheel chair as Buckaroo rolled her out, flanked by Peggy and Perfect Tommy.
Hearing his mistress' voice, Oddity jumped up from the front seat of the hummer behind Tommy Boy. He barked happily.
"Hey, Knuckles." Tommy boy greeted. "What do you think?" She waved a hand back a the hummer.
The vehicle in question was a heavy hummer with state of the art (and a little beyond state of the art) everything. Armor plated, bullet/fire proof glass, roll bars, harness seat belts, caged in third seat, a ramming grid, satellite up links, solar panels... so on and so forth. It was painted jet black with two white, over lapping `J's on the passenger and driver's doors and the armored spare tire cover. A weapons' trunk with computer locks sat in the hummer's bay.
Knuckles slammed the brake down on the wheel chair, stopping it so suddenly, perfect Tommy had to grab Buckaroo to keep him from falling over the top of it.
Ignoring them, Knuckles slowly rose to her feet.
Rawhide pulled his hat even lower.
"This isn't my truck." Knuckles pointed out.
Tommy Boy frowned. "Your truck was an environmental disaster." She tensed, waiting for Knuckles' attack.
But the bounty hunter glared at her for only a moment, before looking the hummer over. "Oddity likes it." she observed.
"Fur resistant seat covers." Tommy Boy offered.
Knuckles glanced at her. "What does that have to do with me being where I'm needed when I'm needed?"
Perfect Tommy chuckled. "You won't come out of that thing whiter than your dog."
Knuckles sighed. "Yea... well, it needs some dents." She started to walk toward it. "Nothing feels right with out some dents."
Tommy Boy sighed, relieved that was the only complaint. "You can run over a couple mack trucks on the way home." she assured.
~~~~~~~~~~
The End
~~~~~~~~~~
